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Mod | | | Forums66 Topics128,049 Posts1,055,741 Members48,426 | | Most Online14,466 Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
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on the Internet for over 30 years! and not clogged down with Ads! Again, thanks! | | | | Joined: Jan 2011 Posts: 16 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Jan 2011 Posts: 16 | So I'm fixing up my '56, and I am thinking about what color to paint it. So I found the original paint code, and it's Number 234G. I tried to look that up in the charts and Tech Tips listings, but I can't find any of the charts that go past '55. In the pre-'55 charts, 234G refers to Mariner Blue. Would any of you say that it would be a safe assumption that after '55, 234G would still refer to Mariner Blue?
1956 Chevrolet 3100 - "WonderTruck"
"I used to be 'With It.' Then they changed what 'It' was. Now what I'm 'With' isn't 'It,' and what is 'It,' seems wierd and scary to me."
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2001 Posts: 3,887 Cruising in the Passing Lane | | Cruising in the Passing Lane Joined: Jul 2001 Posts: 3,887 | start here ... no paint codes that start with 2 for either 55 or 56, maybe you're misreading or you have the trim number? also the letter of a paint code refers to a combination pattern, and I've never seen a G listed ... Mariner isn't shown as a blue for 5-9 Bill | | | | | Joined: Jan 2011 Posts: 16 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Jan 2011 Posts: 16 | Well I'm new to all this, but I'm fairly certain. The plate on the inside of the door frame has a spot for both trim and paint. Trim is above paint, and trim is blank. Paint says 234G. There's a chipped place in the paint behind the cab, that shows a darker blue, which is what I've come to understand Mariner Blue would be. Would some painters still have been using that paint in 1956?
Also, would anyone know what color the insides of the trucks would have been? I'm not really finding reference to that, either.
1956 Chevrolet 3100 - "WonderTruck"
"I used to be 'With It.' Then they changed what 'It' was. Now what I'm 'With' isn't 'It,' and what is 'It,' seems wierd and scary to me."
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2001 Posts: 3,887 Cruising in the Passing Lane | | Cruising in the Passing Lane Joined: Jul 2001 Posts: 3,887 | takes some detective work to find exactly what the original color could have been on any 50 year old truck ..... all I can say is there ain't any #234 on Tims chips 1inked above, or on any other chip sheets I've seen, and "G" isn't seen on any paint codes .... also I've never see Mariner listed for any 56-59, although there's a number of other named blues that could be a similar shade, like Empire blue the interiors were "marble gray" [med-light] and "charcoal" for the darker parts with the dash top flattened [charcoal], only originals I've seen with any other colors are Cameos Bill | | | | | Joined: May 2006 Posts: 8,351 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: May 2006 Posts: 8,351 | Mariner Blue is a '51-'54 color, most likely what you have is either Empire Blue or Crystal Blue, which were '55 and '56 colors. Empire Blue is the darker of the two, though they are both a dark blue. Here is a paint chip chart from '55.
Bill Burmeister | | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 | In 1956, there were three blues: Regal Blue, Empire Blue, and Crystal Blue (the lightest of the three). There was not a real light blue for trucks, like the Nassau Blue available on the 1956 Sedan Delivery. The 1956 Truck Data Book that I have does not include the RPO codes for colors and combinations but it has beautiful paint chips for single colors and combinations. Does anyone have the exterior color RPO codes (and associated color names) for 1956? Here are the color names and combinations but I do not see the RPO codes. | | | | | Joined: Jul 2001 Posts: 3,887 Cruising in the Passing Lane | | Cruising in the Passing Lane Joined: Jul 2001 Posts: 3,887 | Tim - the codes are on Dupont chip sheets, I've never seen any from the day without them nor any codes listed elsewhere
Bill | | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 | Thanks, Bill I now have two versions of the 1956 TDB, but both are early versions (Nov. 1955 for 1956 Trucks) that did not list option numbers (for exterior colors). They both have beautiful paint chip pages (I'll scan and post them later today). Dupont codes are provided on the sheets for all exterior colors and combination. However, RPO codes are not shown on paint chip sheets. For example: Arabian Ivory (two-tone top color, I think): 93-58186 Empire Blue (bottom color, I think): 93-2528 On the individual model pages in the TDB, the Color Options preface-code are given: Single (exterior color): RPO 234- (as you pointed out above) Two-tone: DeLuxe Cab (exterior colors): RPO 443- Two-tone: Custom Cab (exterior colors): RPO 444- Perhaps the "Combination Number" on these 1956 DuPont sheets are the suffix codes to the above RPO preface codes? __________ Added later: 1956 Chevrolet Truck Data Book - Exterior Colors
Last edited by tclederman; 02/01/2011 11:12 PM. Reason: added link to TDB scans
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2009 Posts: 15 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Mar 2009 Posts: 15 | This might help (?) Have to admit, didn't read all the details in the threads above, so maybe already past this point... When I got my '56 I found a website that decoded the VIN and provided color codes. Credit given at the top of the page (of this link): http://daveladue.com/56chevy4x4-vin.htmlScroll down to " 1956 Factory Color Codes", 234G is Empire Blue. (PS. I tried the link on my page where I give credit for the info - americanclassic.com - and the 'VIN decoder' "flashes" in my browser, then gets overlaid with a window that starts "Good News..." Not sure whats up with that, maybe somebody else has better luck.) | | | | | Joined: Jan 2011 Posts: 16 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Jan 2011 Posts: 16 | Hmmm. I promise that it says 234G. I can take a picture for anyone interested, since apparently this is something kind of rare. You don't suppose someone would have changed out that plate?
1956 Chevrolet 3100 - "WonderTruck"
"I used to be 'With It.' Then they changed what 'It' was. Now what I'm 'With' isn't 'It,' and what is 'It,' seems wierd and scary to me."
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2011 Posts: 16 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Jan 2011 Posts: 16 | And 56Napco, thanks for the link. Apparently ,Empire Blue is what I should be looking for.
1956 Chevrolet 3100 - "WonderTruck"
"I used to be 'With It.' Then they changed what 'It' was. Now what I'm 'With' isn't 'It,' and what is 'It,' seems wierd and scary to me."
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2011 Posts: 2 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Jul 2011 Posts: 2 | I have the same coding on my 57. when you research the code for 1956 it is called "Empire Blue" as previously stated. But in 57 it is listed as "Royal Blue". Do you think that they are the same? Thank you. trim:234G Paint:767 | | |
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